That process creates a smoother taste after about six hours in a machine the size of a dishwasher, Hewlette said.

Terressentia’s customers include the TBonz Restaurant Group, Pearlz Oyster Bar, Maverick Southern Kitchens and more than 30 other, out-of-state customers seeking a private labels for their spirits, according to Hewlette.

His company will use the “big check” investment from SC Launch, a program designed to boost knowledge-based entities, to expand its sales and marketing push. Hewlette said the company, which began operations in 2007, runs off a $4 million investment over the past decade and that this new funding will help generate more exposure.

“The most important part of SC Launch is the recognition that they’ve given us a stamp of approval that we are truly a technology company,” he said.

SC Launch began four years ago and, since then, has helped more than 230 knowledge-based companies across the state.